How much does that cost?

[Girlfriday17]

Do you ever get asked how much something costs or how you afford trips? How do you respond without being rude?

 

[cjbcam]

Do you ever get asked how much something costs or how you afford trips? How do you respond without being rude?

Easy tell them the cost. As for the question of how you afford trips? Say we work that's how we afford them. I don't think it sounds rude to answer honestly.

 

[Fueledbycoffee]

It depend on who is asking... DH is an electrician & we own our own business. I work retail to keep insurance costs way down & it pays the mortgage. I usually don't answer in a $ amount but remind them that my kids also live & breath the business so Disney is our way to unplug (mostly, voicemail & emails still get checked nightly) from the business. Trying to do that at home is practically impossible & if we do then there are dishes & laundry to wash. A quick "it's for our health & we save for it during the year" is typically all it takes...

 

[maslex]

Do you ever get asked how much something costs or how you afford trips? How do you respond without being rude?

I've never had a problem telling people how much our vacation costs (or anything for that matter)

We used to go to Disney every couple years when the kids were little. Then we switched over to cruises. We've been on 7 so far. For people who've never been on a cruise but are thinking of going on one, all they're looking for is a ball park figure of how much for a family of four to go on a cruise.

I will then tell them, "well, it really depends on which cruise line you go on, which islands you go to, how much you decide to spend on the cruise, etc. But for us, when we went to XXXX last year, it ran about $5200". I'll also explain that we're not big drinkers, not big on spending money on souveniers and will do maybe 1 or 2 excursions. I'll explain that while the website might say, for a family of four a cruise will cost $3800, you have to also figure in taxes, passport costs (if you don't already have one), spending, excursions, etc.

Or I've also had people ask how much it costs to go to Disney. I always explain it depends on where you stay, food, tickets, etc. Then will tell them that it will usually cost us $4000-$5000 or whatever it cost us the last time we went.

I'm sure when people ask how much you pay for a trip, they're not looking for a play by play of every cent you spent, they're just trying to get an idea of what they might have to save up for a trip. At least that's how I look at it.

I also get a lot of "Must be nice to be rich to be able to take a nice vacation every year. I don't know how you do it". Well, I tell them. But we are by no means rich, we live paycheck to paycheck like most everyone else. Be normally book the vacation at least a year ahead of time and will pay it off with our tax return. Simple as that.

 

[dpswift]

Remember that almost everyone has some sort of expensive vice. Activities, smoking, drinking etc.

With me most of the remarks come from a coworker who owns horses, with DH it is a coworker who owns multiple antique cars. We travel as cheaply as possible (inside rooms on off season cruises, value hotels at Disney). Therefore our trips cost the same or less than their hobbies.

 

[DawnM]

This.

I have a friend who has a $275 cable package and a $240 cell phone bill. She also has a horse and I have no idea what that costs.

My cable/TV/home phone bill is $80/mo and my cell bill is $65 for all of our phones.

Her bill, not counting the horse, is already $370 more than mine per month. $4440/year.

That is two Disney trips for me.

The horse would probably be another trip.

I do not know her total financial picture at all&..for all I know, her mortgage is $370 less than mine per month, but I am just pointing out that we all spend money differently.

Dawn

Remember that almost everyone has some sort of expensive vice. Activities, smoking, drinking etc.

With me most of the remarks come from a coworker who owns horses, with DH it is a coworker who owns multiple antique cars. We travel as cheaply as possible (inside rooms on off season cruises, value hotels at Disney). Therefore our trips cost the same or less than their hobbies.

 

[eliza61]

Do you ever get asked how much something costs or how you afford trips? How do you respond without being rude?

I never get rude.

Some people genuinely don't know. For example my administrative assistant is a single mom, she always had the misconception that a disney trip was way out of her budget. She finally asked and was pleasantly surprised at how many different replies and help she got. I work in a building full of disney lovers.

On the community forum some one asked about how do folks afford airfare to Europe. for a lot of folks that is the most cost prohibited part of going overseas. Once again, tons of tips and answers.

Now I totally agree with the above two posters. a lot of times folks see us going to disney and can't figure out how we afford it, once again another coworker. they just see us getting on a plane and going.
Again, when I pointed out that his membership at the Dupont cc, plus his green fees and such probably cost him a few coins, he was dumbfounded. He just always took his golfing as a hobby.
I have a friend who is a serious scrapebooker. I'm amazed at what she drops on supplies.

take the question for what it probably is, a genuine request for information.

 

[Marionnette]

Do you ever get asked how much something costs or how you afford trips? How do you respond without being rude?

When someone asks me how much something costs, my answer will depend on the way it was asked. If it's a case where they truly want to know the cost, then they get an honest answer. If I know from past experience that they are going to roll their eyes at me, they I'll answer "A lot less that you would have thought!"

If they ask how we can afford trips, then I feel that they are getting too nosy about our personal finances. I consider it to be a really rude question and I just answer with "We're independently wealthy."

 

[DawnM]

And by the way, I am honest. I tell that what we spend. They are often surprised at how inexpensively we can do Disney. I LOVE helping people get to Disney who want to go but didn't know they could afford it.

My frugal Disney trips started when we moved to NC. In CA we lived locally and I would pop down to DL at least once a month (used to have $99 SoCal APs!). DH is not a huge Disney fan but I made him agree to go to Disney at least one time per year in exchange for moving! It is "in the moving contract!"

Anyway, because he is not a fan, and because we are now on one income, I have to find the least expensive way to go so that we can keep going every year.

Dawn

 

[hsmamato2]

I like DawnM's post.... I think from now on, when I get asked that question (we currently vacation somewhere great every 6 months) I'm going to reply "Oh, about the price of a fancy iphone plan + cable t.v." and see what happens..... I agree with some pp's...most of us have *something* we enjoy spending our fun money on.... why is it that those of us who choose to use it for vacationing get asked all the silly questions? my ds2 recently discovered how much his friends parents pay for cable every month and just about choked as he instantly calculated the cost per monthx how much you spend in a year=that much$$$ for a vacation somewhere.... the reality is,in our home we pay $0 for t.v.,and our phone bill totals 36.00 per month for the phones..... so there's that calculation....

 

[kamik86]

I like DawnM's post.... I think from now on, when I get asked that question (we currently vacation somewhere great every 6 months) I'm going to reply "Oh, about the price of a fancy iphone plan + cable t.v." and see what happens..... I agree with some pp's...most of us have *something* we enjoy spending our fun money on.... why is it that those of us who choose to use it for vacationing get asked all the silly questions? my ds2 recently discovered how much his friends parents pay for cable every month and just about choked as he instantly calculated the cost per monthx how much you spend in a year=that much$$$ for a vacation somewhere.... the reality is,in our home we pay $0 for t.v.,and our phone bill totals 36.00 per month for the phones..... so there's that calculation....

I think the vacationers get it more because we drop the money for these things all at once. We spend a few thousand all in a week.

However say golfing you spend some on new clubs here, a new golf bag there, course fees throughout the year etc. Expensive phones are a few hundred a month, etc. It might add up to about the same but doesn't seem as bad to people that aren't savers.

 

[lucyem]

"We go a lot, but we know all the tricks to making it affordable"

 

[wiigirl]

Easy tell them the cost. As for the question of how you afford trips? Say we work that's how we afford them. I don't think it sounds rude to answer honestly.

 

[polineedyan]

Typically, people think it costs much more than it does.. I think that one difference for me, both before being a dis'er and after is this:
If you set a financial goal and stick to a plan, saving money is typically much easier than advertised.
If most people would sit down and create a budget, whether it be a new car, whatever, and save for it-they CAN achieve it.
Saving for a Disney trip taught me A LOT about budget, finance, saving, etc. A LOT. So much so that when we leave for a trip and return, we typically find ourselves in a very good financial position, despite just 'blowing' 3k on a trip.
As for my reply, I direct them to the Disney website. A vacation can be very personalized, and prices really vary.
A typical response from me would be: "Usually, half the cost is getting there. If you can get to Orlando affordably, Disney is pretty easy."
We took 5 trips in 2 years when Airtran did the 89.99 fares.from CAK.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I'm usually getting such questions from people curious about trips they want to take for themselves, and it's usually not the ONLY question, so that makes me more comfortable answering.

 

[v.t.]

I agree that most are asking because they want to go. I always talk about free dining, etc. But if they are being nosy and ask how we can afford it, I discuss not having cable, not eating out, not wearing name brand, etc. That usually ends the conversation.

 

[WisMiss]

I was interrogated by my cousin when she found out we were going. She also grilled my mother (her ex-aunt, as my parents are divorced). Fortunately my mom answered that my family's finances are none of her business. I am always honest about how much a trip costs, and how it can easily be made more or less affordable. As for our last trip, I am a stay at home mom and my family thinks we are poor (which is good, because they are mooches). I paid for it by doing market research sessions and product trials. They pay $50 to $100 each on average, and I get paid in cash. I immediately put it in a separate account earmarked for our vacation.
To be honest, I was very proud that I managed to save enough to take my husband and son to Disney, we stayed at AKL with a savannah view. My extended family still doesn't believe that I managed to save enough on my own. I think they are just jealous!

 

[Brittmarie04]

Actually I just got asked this on Facebook, I put one month until Disney and a girl I used to work with several years ago wrote how do you afford to go so much you just work "there". I was offended and thought it was extremely rude so I wrote back simple we manage our money well. I think she was offended but oh well it was rude of her to ask in the first place

 

[marthachick]

If someone is interested in taking a trip of their own, I tell them tips & tricks and send them to the DisBoards. If they're just nosey or rude, I tell them, "Oh we robbed a bank!"

 

[elaine amj]

I know ppl wonder how we manage all the trips we do. I do like to emphasize just how cheap our trips are so ppl don't think we are rolling in money. This year alone, we have done a Disney cruise, about a half dozen camping/driving distance long weekends, 3 couple long weekends (Vegas, Indiana, and Phoenix), Kalahari, and a family long weekend to Washington. Yes, we like travel. That said our long weekends costs us about $300-$400 each, our flights are free due to airmiles earned through strategic credit card churning - so when all is said and done, we spent only about $6K total this year on all our trips. Most ppl spend that on one trip.

I try to share with ppl (who are interested) how we do it. But frankly, 99% of ppl arent interested. E.g. I usually pay only $50 for a 3 day car rental. To get this price, i spend hours punching in car rental coupon codes. A close friend is paying about $250 for his 6 day car rental in Florida this spring. A couple of months ago he asked me how to get a better rate. I emailed him the lengthy list of codes I use. I can bet u he hasn't even tried any of them.

One of our close friends is constantly envious of our trips. But he spends $150 on running shoes every few months. Throw in the entrance fees to the marathons/races he does at least 1x a month, and there are several trips there. Then the $15-20 a day he spends on lunches - that's half my vacation budget right there.

My boss recently said to me, "I wish I had your life!" But really, she wouldn't. I don't have a new boat. I don't have an ATV. I don't have a big, fancy house. We do vacations on the cheap, seeking out free/cheap activities. I choose restaurants based on what deals I can get.